There are various embodiment variants of transport sections already known from prior art, which are intended for conveying articles from one first processing machine toward another processing machine. Transport sections may also be intended for removing articles out of a processing machine, feeding articles into a processing machine, or transporting or conveying articles from one location to another. While being conveyed over the transport section, the respective articles are moved and directed along a desired path of transport. For this purpose, these embodiments frequently include one or more guide elements following the transport path with the articles being guided past the said guide elements.
Such guide or conduction elements may be formed by rods, panels, or the like. The respective articles being conveyed have surface contact with the guide elements during movement and they are directed in their tracks by the guide elements. In order to prevent article jams and/or disorientation of the articles, the respective articles can glide along the guide elements with the least possible friction.
In addition to directing the articles, the guide elements are also intended for preventing instabilities during article transport. For this purpose, there are guide elements known from prior art that extend vertically so that the articles being guided over the transport section are enabled to come into a planar contact, thus ensuring stable conveyance.
If it is intended to pass articles of a first geometry through the transport section and afterwards, or at another point of time, articles of a different, second geometry, an adjustment of the position of the respective guide element or elements involved is necessary for ensuring stable guidance. Such adjustment procedures may be needed, in particular, if containers of a first filling volume are to be transported first and subsequently containers of a second filling volume, wherein the containers each differ in their external shapes and/or external dimensions.
In such adjustment procedures, the position of the guide elements must be adjusted in such a way that the distance between two guide elements is slightly greater than the article width or height so as to enable the articles to be guided over the transport section between the respective guide elements without jamming. By this distance it must furthermore be ensured that the articles are prevented from tipping over and that defined tracks in the transport section are adhered to as exactly as possible. These requirements demand a very precise adjustment of the position of each of the guide elements.
In prior art, the adjustment of the position can be effected by manually adjusting or repositioning the respective guide element or elements. Such a manual adjustment procedure or manual repositioning of guide or conduction elements, possibly involving the use of tools, is cumbersome and very time consuming, which is why alternative mechanisms have been developed to simplify the repositioning procedure. Collapsible railings or eccentric discs are among the adjustment means as known from the prior art.
Another option, involving the use of a crank for adjustment of guide elements, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,280 A. In this setting apparatus, the rotary movement of a shaft, which is driven by a manual crank, is transmitted to a gear rack that moves the respective guide element. Also described is a rotary knob for fixing a reached position, by means of which the guide element can be held in the respective position. If the guide element needs readjusting, the rotary knob and hence the clamping in place is loosened and the manual crank is then used to adjust the guide elements. In this known device, the gear rack is directly linked to a shaft having an external tooth system for intermeshing in a comb-like engagement with the gear rack.
In the direct transmission of torque from the drive shaft with external teeth on the gear rack as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,280 A, it is possible that the guide elements are adjusted too far or too close. In particular in manual adjustment, such an adjustment mechanism is of only limited precision so that under unfavorable circumstances adequately exact adjustments of the respective guide elements cannot be performed and the required precise positions of the guide or conduction elements cannot be ensured.
With respect to the present invention, however, mechanisms are desirable that allow an easy manner and a large degree of accuracy for positioning guide elements when adjusting them. A further problem in practice is that the respective guide elements suffer wear and tear after a certain time, thus making readjustment of the guide elements necessary in order to counteract the signs of wear and in order to be able to transport the respective articles stably and abutting on the respective guide elements. This type of readjustment also requires mechanisms permitting very precise fine adjustment of the position of the respective guide elements.